Portland pleasure boat vol 13 no. 16

Our government, after spending ten millions of dollars in getting an army and supplies to Utah, to conquer the Mormons, have sent commissioners to try to settle the trouble with the Mormons without war. Why was not this plan thought of before all this expense was incurred, and before these hos-tile movements had exasperated the Mor-mons? Had one man, with the wisdom of a Penn, been sent to Utah, all troubles would have been terminated long since, without other expense. Perhaps, however, the na-tion may, on future occasions, profit by the wit they are now purchasing at so dear a rate, yet it must be confessed our govern-ment are slow to learn. A few years since, it undertook to get up a war with the En-glish government, about our north- eastern boundary. It probably expected to bully the English into submission by a bluster and show of fight, but after getting our troops on to fighting ground, and finding that Johnny Bull still had a pair of horns large enough for defence, the patriotism of our govern-ment oosed out at some other opening than the cannon's mouth, and they concluded it would be the better part of valor to send a commissioner, and settle the trouble without bloodshed. This was done, but the soldiers and other expenses of the bluster must be paid, and that bloodless war has also entailed on the nation, a long list of pensioners!—One would think that this lesson, so dearly bought, might have had a good influence on our government, when about to institute pro-ceedings against the Mormons; but it ap-pears to have been forgotten; still a few more such lessons may, perhaps, produce an effect.

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

Our government, after spending ten millions of dollars in getting an army and supplies to Utah, to conquer the Mormons, have sent commissioners to try to settle the trouble with the Mormons without war. Why was not this plan thought of before all this expense was incurred, and before these hos-tile movements had exasperated the Mor-mons? Had one man, with the wisdom of a Penn, been sent to Utah, all troubles would have been terminated long since, without other expense. Perhaps, however, the na-tion may, on future occasions, profit by the wit they are now purchasing at so dear a rate, yet it must be confessed our govern-ment are slow to learn. A few years since, it undertook to get up a war with the En-glish government, about our north- eastern boundary. It probably expected to bully the English into submission by a bluster and show of fight, but after getting our troops on to fighting ground, and finding that Johnny Bull still had a pair of horns large enough for defence, the patriotism of our govern-ment oosed out at some other opening than the cannon's mouth, and they concluded it would be the better part of valor to send a commissioner, and settle the trouble without bloodshed. This was done, but the soldiers and other expenses of the bluster must be paid, and that bloodless war has also entailed on the nation, a long list of pensioners!—One would think that this lesson, so dearly bought, might have had a good influence on our government, when about to institute pro-ceedings against the Mormons; but it ap-pears to have been forgotten; still a few more such lessons may, perhaps, produce an effect.